This is a very difficult and almost painful thing to say, but the simple truth is that there are no good people. I know that we often may think of ourselves as being good people, especially when we compare ourselves to other people whom we do not like. Someone came to Jesus once and said, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 18:18). What he was saying was, "You're a good person. You're obviously going to go to heaven. What must I do? Tell me, good teacher, what are the good things that I must do so I can go, too? How do I attain eternal life?" Jesus looked at him and said, "Why do you call me good?" And then he added, "No one is good but God alone." Think about this: if you have to be good to go to heaven and only God is good, who is going? God and .... no one else. In other words, Jesus is saying, "Your application to join the Trinity has been refused."
-Michael Ramsden, from Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend
2 comments:
That cuts it to the core! All our notions of being "good" torn to shreds in light of truth.
It's best, really, as then we are forced to rely on Jesus rather than self.
It cuts me to the core! I've tried to "be good" since I was a little girl, but find it is an impossible quest. I'm so glad to find in Christ all the goodness I will ever need. What a treasure God has given in Him! And what a great reminder that I am not qualified to be part of the Trinity (!), yet am invited into fellowship and one day into heaven because of Jesus.
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